The Birth Of Greenford Speedway/Dirt Track - 1928



3 March – Ealing and District Motorcycle Club (London’s oldest motorcycle club) announced they were to ‘take a leading role in the development of dirt-track racing’ in the UK.

7 April – Dirt-track racing starts at Greenford Trotting Ground (alongside Long Drive on land that is now Stanley Ave, Jeymer Drive and Lincoln Close).

21 April – 2nd dirt-track meeting.

28 May – First Grand Prix takes place (3.15pm) with artificial corners and ‘S’ bends introduced over the 20 lap, 10 mile race. Lady Strathspey opens White City Speedway track.

2 June – Local paper, reporting on illegal betting problems at the trotting events, announces that this is no problem at motorcycle events as: ‘betting is not in keeping with the customs and traditions of the motorcycle racing fraternity’.

9 June – Track ‘too hard and dry for speed work’ as there had not been enough rain. ‘The monotony was relieved only by 2 spills and one broken record’ (1000cc McEvoy and sidecar @ 44.55mph). Local man (Ealing) Frank Longman wins lightweight TT on IoM @ 63mph.

23 June – Loudspeakers installed around the track. Small racing cars of the Junior Car Club competed for the first time with guests Malcolm Campbell, Kaye Don and George Newman
.
4 August – An unusual number of falls and the first appearance of a female rider, Miss Fay Taylour, who was given a 5 second start in the mile race and finished First (at 42.45 mph) with her 5 second advantage intact.

18 August – First eliminating heat of the British Half-mile Track Championship for solo machines won by L. Dallimore (HRD) and A. Jones (AJS) in a dead heat (4 mins 4 secs for 6 laps).